The
TributeI only ever saw one of these at a Chucky Cheese, in the 80s. What I great game that had lost of play time for
the teenager that never had enough quarters. I went to Lots to get a hold of this one so keep reading!

The
Facts

Manufactured by Bally Midway, Domino Man holds a copyright of 1983. You control a little guy who runs around
the screen stacking up dominos to pre-set 'dots' that form a line or a shape. Random people walk around an attempt
to knock over the entire line of dominoes and there is a bee that hunts you down. A level is completed when you
string the entire line of dominos and knock them down. In addition to pictures of dominoes around the monitor,
the lower front portion of the cabinet (around the coin door) sports several large vacu-molded plastic dominoes.

Domino Man

So
what's your story?

I had to have this game! I didn't play it TOO much when it was out but that was due to the fact that it was
only operated in one arcade in my area in the 80s. But whenever I was in Chucky Cheese, that's where you could
find me. Popping quarters into Domino Man as this was the only chance I would get to play her, until I could find
my way back (which wasn't too often) to Chucky Cheese. Domino man has a great soundtrack of the Maple Leaf Rag
that plays as you set up your dominos, and the Maple Leaf Rag, as well as piano ragtime in general, has always
moved me. So its no wonder that even the soundtrack pulled me in. Another interesting quirk to the game is the
way each game ends. After the game is over, the game will have a poem displayed on the screen to evaluate the player's
performance on the game. For example:

Well in the first year I started collecting, the hunt began. None at the auctions, but then I spotted it on the
RGVAC newsgroup. One Domino Man working in nice shape. I emailed the seller immediately and was sending my cash
by the end of the week.
O.K., Now that I paid for it.. How was I going to get it???? It was in Boston and I was in NJ… About a 4 ½
hour trip on way… Not too bad but my wife would be pissed. Well as luck would have it, There was schooling going
on in about a month in Boston that I was to attend. Looking over the map and chatting whit the guy I bought the
machine from, we worked it out that I would pick it up one night the week I was In the Boston area. The transfer
went off very well. I picked up the machine the day before I was to drive home and left it well wrapped in plastic
strapped to the trailer outside of my hotel overnight awaiting the drive home back to New Jersey. Good thing I
wrapped it well too because it pored, none stop the next day…. All the way home. But the machine was undamaged
from the elements

The
Restoration

Once again, putting the extra money up front, makes for an easy restoration. The worst part of the whole
machine was the terrible monitor burn in. I opted for a Welles Gardner monitor to replace
it with. As you can see from the side-by-side picture, the amount of burn that was in
the tube, driving the monitor replacement! Replaced some bulbs, re-keyed the door locks and put in the Basement
Arcade!

More
of the poems!

The poems were originally ALL CAPS but are modified here for readability. The letter X refers to digits in
the
number of dominos and does not appear anywhere else in the poems.

Roses are red
And need lots of water
With only x up
You just blew a quarter

Roses are red
And so is your face
If xx dominoes
Is all you could place

Roses are red
With passion they burn
You set up xx
Just practice and learn

Roses are red
And grow even redder
With xx set up
You will get better

Roses are red
Or so goes the verse
You set up xx
You could have done worse

Roses are red
And need lots of rain
After setting up xx dominoes
You should try this again

Roses are red
And smell up the place
But xx dominoes
Is no sign of disgrace

Roses are red
Some white even black
With xx set up
You are on the right track

Roses are red
The girls love them madly
Xx dominoes
Is not doing too badly

Roses are red
And sometimes are white
With xxx dominoes
You are showing some fight

Roses are red
With dew drops they shine
Your xxx dominoes
Is doing just fine

Roses are red
And violets are blue
You got xxx up
My hats off to you

Roses are red
And grow in the sun
You put up xxx
You son of a gun

Roses are red
And like their roots damp
With xxx up
You play like a champ

Roses are red
Or even vermilion
You got xxx
Now go for a million

Roses are red
And have fanciful names
With xxx put up
You are quite good at games

Roses are red
And have bees in for dinner
Xxx dominoes
Makes you a sure winner

Roses are red
Or so i have been told
With xxx set up
You knocked this game cold

Roses are red
Petunias are not
You put up xxx
That is hotter than hot

Roses are red
They are sold by the dozen
You set up xxx
The whole place is buzzin

Roses are red
Like no other flower
With xxx set up
You have domino power

Roses are red
Even when plastic
Your set up of xxx
Is super fantastic

Roses are red
In sunshine or rain
You set up xxx
You are a domino brain

Roses are red
Like the bullys complexion
Your score of xxxx
Is certainly perfection

Do you have a Domino Man arcade game and need
some of it's technical information? Visit the library for the full manual. Click Here for the wiring Pinouts. Having sound problems? Click Here for some
MCR troubleshooting!